HEMP ROPE, BETWEEN US (ENG)

Chapter 20

*note* we are back to when Team is telling Win about his brother in his bedroom.

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The room was uncomfortably silent, like the cold water at the bottom of the pool. The soft bed didn't feel warm as it usually did. The tall man sat looking at Team's face, full of tears. Team sat still, looking at the photo of his brother in his hands. He ran his finger over the face of his brother, the face he couldn't froget.

"We were too late to even go to the hospital."

His strong brother..

"The people that came to help were the workers who had come to clean the pool. They said they found me leaning against the pool ladder." Team wiped his face, taking a deep breath to continue.

"From the cctv they saw my brother swim to the end of the pool, then rush back to save me. He dragged me to the ladder, he had used so much energy..he must have been exhausted..he sank down.."

The more he spoke the more he cried. Team raised his head up toward the ceiling trying to keep the tears from falling.

"I have always thought it should have been me who died, not him."

"Team!" Win looked concerned and grabbed Team's face and wiped away the tears that kept coming.

"Don't say that, no one was meant to die."

"But because I'm stupid, my stubborn behavior caused that to happen. If I had listened to him from the start, then maybe..." Team sobbed, he had been crying so much he felt like his head could burst. His tired body swayed as Win pulled him to rest on his shoulder.

"We can't fix the past," Win said rubbing his back. Team was shaking, he patted him gently like calming a scared child. "But we can live better in the present." Win pressed a kiss to his temple to comfort him.

"Yeah..."

"This is why you can't sleep?"

Team nodded and answered, his voice muffled,

"Before a competition especially. I start remembering what happened. I always think about drowning." For a swimmer this was a big problem.

"I couldn't swim for a whole year after that. I didn't even dare to get in the water." Back then he missed his competitions, he could barely look at the pool without trembling in fear.

Win felt stressed, to him Team had always seemed confident, he had never seen him afraid of the water.

"Are you afraid of the pool?"

"Not anymore."

Win sighed in relief and brushed the hair away from his face.

"You promised him you would be a swimmer right? You want to be a coach?"

Team nodded again.

"Now.. you are trying to fulfill your promise aren't you?" He leaned forward to lean his head against his.

Win thought about it, even though Team was afraid he controlled his fear to reach his dream. He must have struggled, pushed himself, been angry with himself, had to swallow his fear and tears, had to try to forget what happened..

"You've tried so hard, you've done well." His low voice overlapped Team's soft crying.

"You will be a good coach, Team."

With you as my coach Team I'll be a national swimming champ!!

"Yeah..." Team choked back a sob that was about to start up again. He probably hadn't cried so much in his life. Win reached out to grab a tissue to wipe off his face.